WELAKA, Fla. — Between Paradise and Carefree Drives in Welaka, Jack Clements is trying to be a good sport about the state of his neighborhood.
"When you read the signs, be careful what you wish for. I think they named those during a time of slack hurricanes because they're not carefree now," he told First Coast News.
He's lived in Welaka for about five years, just missing the impact of Hurricane Irma.
Mayor Jamie Watts warned of flooding ahead of the storm, giving people time to evacuate. He says river levels rose 3.7 feet which beat the records set by Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma.
"People did heed the warning and they got out before the worst of the flooding began to happen," Watts said.
High tides are expected to cause more flooding even this far up the St Johns River as built-up water tries to make its way out to the ocean. Watts thinks they will get relief early next week.
On Friday, he counted 20 homes that were underwater. "Despite the devastation, people are still in good spirits down here," Watts said.
Federal disaster assistance is available for people in Putnam County, including Clements, who has enjoyed waking up to a water, even if it's a little too close for comfort.
"This is still a little bit of paradise here," he said.